Academic collaboration

Do you have a project in need of completion? Do you have development tasks that are always put on the back-burner? Could your organization benefit from innovative ideas and fresh inspiration from the best minds at NTNU? If so, academic collaboration between your organization, a student and his/her supervisor could be the solution you are looking for.

Academic collaboration step-by-step:

Familiarize yourself about the various levels of collaboration, their scope and duration. Make an assessment of what academic skills are required to carry out the assignment.

Familiarize yourself about when the students are looking for assignments. We recommend minimum 6 months deadline for thesis announcements.

Publish the announcement on NTNU Bridge. We follow up on all registered assignments, with the aim of establishing further dialogue with relevant academic communities.

Start the dialogue with the student and his or her supervisor as early as possible. Be clear on what you expect, but be open to adapt to academic requirements.

Make sure a written agreement is signed by all parties before the collaboration starts.

Your organization must provide a contact person who can follow up and, if necessary, act as co-supervisor for the student

There are various support schemes for covering expenses for academic collaboration. See more information on travel scholarship here

What is academic collaboration?

Academic collaboration is where a student, his or her supervisor and a company or organization work together on a joint project or thesis. This opens up for establishing a larger professional network - for all parties. The student gets to work on real issues that the enterprise is concerned with and can benefit from. At the same time you become acquainted with both the student and the student's academic community. This may form the basis for further collaboration and recruitment. You are expected to cover expenses related to the completion of the task, such as travel, material costs and laboratory tests. The student shall not receive salary or similar remuneration for the collaboration.

Academic collaboration can be carried out at various levels, with differing scope and duration. Confirm with the student and his or her supervisor that the project matches the appropriate level. A thesis should provide new academic insight in a specific field. It does not necessarily result in a finished product, and thus differs from commissioned research or consultancy work. Short-term projects with well-defined outlines are often best suited for academically relevant part-time or summer jobs. Academic collaboration is often better suited for surveys and opportunity studies.

As an employer, you can create a profile on NTNU Bridge and freely publish master- or bachelor's theses. The assignment should be sufficiently specific to identify what academic background is required, but also sufficiently open for adjustments to fit the theory and method of the field. We follow up on all registered assignments, with the aim of establishing further dialogue with relevant academic communities.

Be aware that some academic communities receive a great number of inquiries from external partners, some have access to more potential projects than there are students. Eventually it is the students who choose which projects they want to work on. Thus we cannot guarantee that you will find students for assignments announced on NTNU Bridge.

Various levels of collaboration

The master's thesis

The master's thesis is a project at a higher academic level with a specialization in a subject relevant to the degree, and marks the end of a five-year education. A master's thesis usually lasts 6-12 months and is finished by summer. The thesis is usually conducted individually. In addition to academic specialization, the students learn academic method, develop writing skills and reading comprehension. The master's thesis provides a thorough academic assessment of a problem, often involving the retrieval and analysis of new data.

Many students also complete a project assignment related to the master's thesis, in the form of a smaller preliminary study. Usually the previous semester. If so, this will also be included in the collaboration.

The bachelor's thesis

The bachelor's thesis is a project at a lower academic level with a specialization in a subject relevant to the degree. The thesis usually lasts up to 6 months and is delivered as part of a three-year undergraduate education. The assignment can be solved individually or by a group. Many have other subjects while working on the thesis. In addition to academic specialization, the students learn academic method, develop writing skills and reading comprehension. The bachelor's thesis does not have the same academic weight as a master's thesis, and is often more practically oriented.

You will be asked to specify the level and the subject areas you are interested in when announcing an academic collaboration on NTNU Bridge. Based on this, we assess who may be relevant partners.

When are students looking for assignments?

Students are exploring thesis ideas at specific times of the year. By publishing your announcement at the right time, you will greatly increase your chances of getting a response. When students choose their theses can vary between study programmes. Below you find a general overview:

February/March:
Most students in the fields of technology and engineering choose the topic for their project assignment and write the assignment in the fall. The assignment is often linked to the master thesis.

April/May:
Most students in the fields of technology and engineering choose the topic for their master's thesis and write the thesis in the spring.

September/October:
Many students in the humanities and social sciences choose choose the topic for their master's thesis and write the thesis in the spring.

October/November:
Most students choose the topic for their bachelor's thesis and write the thesis in the spring.

In addition, many graduating students spend last spring semester looking for full-time jobs, trainee and internship positions. Up until Easter, many students are looking for summer jobs. From August onwards, many are looking for part-time jobs that they can combine with their studies.